Green Batteries from a Plant
Just when we thought products couldn't be any greener, scientists at Rice University and the City College of New York have discovered a highly effective plant for batteries. This madder plant is called Rubia tinctorum and has shown to have a purpurin. Purpurin can then be changed into a cathode which is what is needed for batteries. A research scientist named Arava Leela Mohana Reddy later commented on the research. Reddy explains how the so called environmentally friendly battery isn't so green after all. Apparently to recycle the battery you have to mine the cobalt metal and manufacture the cathodes in a high-temperature environment which is actually harmful. Reddy later explains how they are planning to work on a way to make batteries completely green and expects to have a working prototype within a few years.
- · This science is collaborative because more than one university has done research on it.
- · Person’s view and experience can influence the data because after Reddy observed the data in detail it influenced the discovery
- · Science is subject to debate and tentative because people are debating on whether claimed discovery is even really green.
Article:http://www.macroevolution.net/green-batteries.html#.UTaXuDCR-uq
This is more information about how purpurin works in a battery:http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/121211/srep00960/full/srep00960.html
By Nora HashwHour 3
By Nora HashwHour 3
It is amazing that such a green idea turns out to be not so earth friendly after all. I never knew that plants could be used to make batteries. Purpurin sounds like a super useful chemical if scientists can find a way to make recycling it safe for the earth too. Another problem that is talked about in the other article you linked on your blog (http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/121211/srep00960/full/srep00960.html) is finding an abundant enough plant that would last if used in producing earth friendly energy sources. The role of curiosity plays a big part in this experiment because of human use of energy. In the same article that talked about an abundant source, they also mentioned that the research started because people wanted a more earth friendly way to use batteries. This curiosity has started a huge research project that I’m sure will help save the world in the future.
ReplyDeleteLike Amy, I also didn't know that plants were used to make batteries. It's unfortunate that the batteries were not green and that the scientists didn't tell the people that.
ReplyDeleteSince the plant is only used in battery making because of the purpurin, so if scientists can find a way to extract purpurin from plants without killing the plants, it would allow manufacturers to have enough purpurin to use.
Another NOS theme is Science is based on evidence because people thought the batteries were green until Reddy came by with evidence that they were in fact not.